Do you have to cite sources in a book?

The rules of citation that apply to academic and research papers don’t apply to novels. You don’t need to include a bibliography, and footnotes aren’t necessary unless you’re using them for some literary purpose, à la David Foster Wallace. However, it is important to acknowledge the sources you relied on for research.

Do you have to cite ideas?

In general, you must document sources when you provide information that you ordinarily would not have known before conducting your research, and when you provide information that it cannot be assumed the reader knows. You must cite a reference when you: Discuss, summarize, or paraphrase the ideas of an author.

What sources do not need to be cited?

There are certain things that do not need documentation or credit, including: Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject. When you are writing up your own results obtained through lab or field experiments.

How do you cite an idea?

Quotations. The simplest and clearest way to incorporate the ideas of other scholars into your work is to quote their words directly, using single quotation marks (double quotation marks are American), and acknowledge the exact source of the quotation (author, date and page at least) in the text or in a footnote.

What happens if you don’t cite your sources?

What Happens If I Don’t Cite? If you do not cite your source correctly, it is plagiarism. When you plagiarize, you are not giving credit to those whose research paved the way for your own. You also do a disservice to your readers, who are not able to consult your sources for more information.

Why should we cite specific sources?

It allows those who are reading your work to locate your sources, in order to learn more about the ideas that you include in your paper. Citing your sources consistently and accurately helps you avoid committing plagiarism in your writing.